Board of Directors

Liz Kearney

Elizabeth Lamb Kearney – Ms. Kearney graduated from high school in Berthoud and when two daughters joined the family it became clear why parents choose small communities to raise kids and she returned to Berthoud. As one of the founders of Wildfire, she noticed a lack of art and dance instruction right in town and put the current arts center to use. That was in 2002, and since then the mission of Wildfire to build community through the arts has flourished with dozens of class offerings from belly dance to silk screening, summer film festivals and holiday art shows. In between practicing law, raising the aforementioned daughters and one niece, riding her horse and tending to her spouse, Liz enjoys dance, yoga and art classes at Wildfire and hopes you will as well.

Staci Wetzler

Staci L. Wetzler - Originally from Northern Idaho, Staci has lived in Colorado over 30 years; residing in the Berthoud area since 2002.

Staci graduated University of Colorado cum laude with an integrated theatre degree consisting of directing, acting, and design. She has performed on both sides of the stage curtain on numerous occasions and capacities. On-stage, she has entertained in a variety of solo and troupe dance performances; and, among her theatrical performance credits, her favorites include portraying Kitty Warren in Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, and Sarah the sea-creature in Albee’s Seascape. She has judged a variety of scholarship pageant franchises including Baby Colorado, Miss Hemisphere, and Miss Colorado.

Staci is delighted to extend her efforts and experience through Wildfire; and thanks the community for sharing support in the Arts Center, “where arts are a part of everyday life.”

Sally Nibbelink

Sally Nibbelink - Sally is originally from Amarillo, Texas and after living in Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma she came back to Colorado to stay in 1991. Sally brings a lifetime of dance study to Wildfire. Her early training in ballet and jazz led to modern, followed by contra, swing and ballroom, but tap has been her passion for the past 20 years. She is currently a student of Gene GeBauer and performs with The Big Noise and Wildfire’s Tap Roots.

Muriel Jelsma

Muriel Jelsma - Muriel has lived in Colorado since 1993 and studied art at Sacramento State University. Her work has been shown in the United States and China. She is an abstract painter, mostly self-taught. Her work swings from non-objective to objective, depending on what is going on in the world. She says “painting is letting go and allowing the strokes and color create to create the mystery of my personal universe.”

Muriel has taught both adults and children since 1991. She has taught at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, Colorado. It gives her great pleasure to “turn people on” to art, especially those who insist they can’t draw a straight line.